I have been experimenting with different pellets on my new 34p. I really (I mean really) like the way the big Crow Mags hit but is 18.2 grains really a good weight to be shooting? What is the effective range of such a pellet in a springer like an RWS 34P? What would be the realistic FPS on this?
I have some Predator Poly Mags that shoot pretty good but they are too expensive for range shooting. I know everyone says test the water to see which pellet your gun likes best but I found I can shoot 4 pellets then adjust the scope to match poi and then it is a pellet the gun likes.
Each pellet has a different POI but you can just compensate for it and call it a good pellet. Well except for the pointed ones, they seem to fly all over the place no matter what I do.
I have also read that heavy lead can cause damage to the airgun, is this true? Conversely would an extremely light one be like a dry fire?

So what is a good weight range to pick from, safe and effective.

the eternal question about GR. weight in pellets

THINK about this one!!!!

a Model 34 in .177 and M34 in .22 cal

same internals, same sprng, piston, seal, breech but different barrels

one .177 shots' 850-900 fps

and the .22 shots, 670 to 680 FPS

SAME internals but a different caliber

WHY??? would the same air rifle make a difference with a different pellet, same sweep power same power plant different, but different grain in pellet weight and different calibers'

6, 7, 8, 9. 10 gr. in .177 cal or

10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 GR. in .22 cal ???

"Each pellet has a different POI but you can just compensate" right you are but the fps is the same with and you compensate to the grain weight and caliber, not to the same air rifle

maybe you should change "scopes" when you shoot different pellets in the same brand of air rifles'

warren

PS: my rant IS NOT directed to you



and remember "it's 30% the gun and 70% the shooter"

I personally have not shot any air rifle enough to say that a heavy (for a given caliber) pellet damages a gun. I have shot enough different pellets to know that some are great some are good and some are not. The Model 34 .177 vs .22 with the same inards example by Warren kind of suggests that heavy pellets damaging a rifle is a myth. But then again maybe the .22 suffer earlier failures. Who knows? I don't!

I do know that I have inquired about this subject here myself and recieved many responses from many experienced air gunners. I have decided for myself, I'm gonna shoot what ever suits my fancy and whatever the gun seems to like. If spring breaks, so be it. I can't blame it on the pellet since I have approaching 2000(maybe more, I'd have to check) "standard" weight pellets through my gun. If the spring breaks 200 pellet into shooting Crow's can I logically blame it on the pellet weight? I think not!

Shoot whatever the heck you want and deal with it if it breaks. If you want to do a test, consult with a statistics buff and find out how many rifles you need purchase and seperate them into two batches. One batch gets standard weight pellets, the other only heavy. shoot all the same amount and log the failures. Then we will have, if properly planned, a statistically significant test that will dispell any myths that are out there.

Model48

I've read a lot about pellet selection here, and because I don't shoot paper, I'm not necessarily worried about .0250 CTC spread. I'm shooting 2 inch targets, and I adjust to the pellet. Heavy pellets get more holdover, lighter pellets get tighter aim point. The truth is, and you'll hear it often, buy many types of pellets and shoot them. Be subjective though. I'm going through the same thing now.

Sorry for the extra post, I should have included this in the last.

I once loaded 2 q-tips soaked in Hoppes #9, back to back, into the breech of my 34. 4 cotton heads, saturated, fit snugly in the barrel. I then went into the garage and fired them out. Stupid, I know. The shot was LOUD and the q-tips were destroyed. The tips however, were black, which at least shows some good came of this. I was wondering how much weight, or resistance, is too little. And what kind of damage does dry firing really cause?

Those Q-Tips I would consider that a dry fire. I ran a .22 mop through mine with some hops and it cam back filthy. Ended up running it through a few more times then cleaned the mop up with a can of paint thinner. Got a clean mop with some light sewing machine type oil ran it through once then ran some clean patches through. I am still tempted to run a mop with jewelers compound on it through a few times to polish up the barrel but what if it screws it up.
If you are shooting a .177 the kits you can get from wal-mart and k-mart often come with a .17 cal rod that will do the job.